Am I intp (existentialistcat)?

[Orangey]

Because I keep getting told that I'm not INTP, and I was wondering if maybe I learned the type instead of it coming naturally. (Maybe it's because my family values logic and doesn't express emotion openly.) I wanted to see what people would say, out of curiosity. Maybe I want validation as an intp because it's the only group I've ever identified with. Ah well, it's only a test. I don't claim to understand its workings.

Well that was a refreshingly honest answer. The people who have said that you seem INFP so far have not really given a justification other than "vibes" or "you remind me of an INFP I know." And while that's fine and everything, and sometimes turns out to be an accurate method (I use it, too), I have a suspicion that these INFP vibes have been generated by a combination of the following: (1) the fact that you come off in the vids as very serene and dreamy, and (2) you are a female, which makes it more likely that you're INFP and not INTP.

I think that's fishy, though, because with so many shared traits between the two types, like introversion (which would explain your overall quietness) and extraverted intuition (which would explain the dreaminess), it's foolhardy to use those as criteria for distinguishing one from the other. And the female = F thing, which hasn't been explicitly expressed but which I'm sure has played at least a small part in people's calculation of your type (how could it not, with INTPs being so overwhelmingly male?), is not convincing unless it's coupled with other strong indicators that you are an F type. Which we have yet to see.

So until otherwise convincingly argued, I will default to INTP.

 

[Athenian200]

This is something I've been wondering about for a while, and whether it's needless questioning/unimportant/unanswerable, I'm putting it to you anyway.

I'll be easy to observe because I have videos on youtube here: YouTube - existentialistcat's Channel. My question is, am I really INTP? I'm starting to wonder, based on the way other INTPs act on this board, and INTPs like this: YouTube - barcode9588's Channel who seem to embody the type better.

The thing is, I'm not good at math or remembering nuggets of information unless it pertains to a conceptual model of interest (of which I have a limited number). I'm also not asocial exactly, and see logic as a means to an ends-- that is, emotional growth and happiness. I do still make decisions first based on the reasonable thing to do, which is often dominant over what I want emotionally. But that is merely delayed gratification. However, sometimes it takes me a long time to process what I'm feeling, and I'm good at controlling it (except for in my rare relationships).

Sometimes I also feel that there are great expectations for INTPs that I won't be able to fulfill, especially when it comes to being masters of logic. I'm good at it in real world situations, but I didn't do as well in the class

However in defense of the typing, I'm absent-minded but very good at understanding broad concepts. There's no doubt that I value logic over emotion, but I see this as somewhat of a fault. I "over-analyze" everything that is of interest, and enjoy talking to myself to sort out ideas and to find consistency. I'm obsessed with consistency. Not being religious, it is the only comfort I have haha. I'm also pretty quiet by nature, and I'm always hearing that people cannot for the life of them figure me out. I'm interested in refection and knowing myself, because that's how I can understand reality since I'm the one processing it.

On the other hand: I'm more interested in the inner workings of people than math, and I'm actually pretty good at reading social situations. I'm also good at acting, though I'm very bad at lying. This is a recent development though; I used to be a very awkward, asocial child. Also used to be a prodigy but now just "kinda smart for my age"

I've tested INTP five times over a two year period, but recently it's changed some. Mostly the I, and some of the T have been leveling out a bit.

I'm genuinely interested to know if I'm mistyped in that my type is learned (or if this is why MBTI is not a perfect system).

I think you're an INTP. I saw your video on INTJf, and here's what I said about you then:

"Interesting.

I related to the INTP on a certain kind of softness and sense of the complexity of things, but I was extremely frustrated at the pace she spoke at, and she had this kind of personality that makes you constantly want to finish her sentences for her or say, "I get the idea already."

Now as far as the INTJ, I related to the manner in which she spoke and the way she just briefly pointed to an idea, and outlined it enough for you to get and moved on. I didn't really share her odd obsession with being productive towards multiple goals at once, and there was a slight tendency to be a little blunt and informal about the way things affected her in ways I'm usually not. I did find this odd quality rather soothing, though."

I do think you've got a major SFJ shadow. You seem to think far too much about the pointlessness of various social things going on around you rather than actually coming up with thoughts or innovations of your own about things you're interested in. That's actually pretty typical of INTPs, though.

I would also say you seem to spend too much time building up to what you're going to say, hinting at it before unloading it. By the time you've said what you're going to say, people have already guessed roughly the next 10 things you're going to say (because they're fairly typical comments and opinions about gender and social norms) and are just waiting for you to get past the obvious thing you pointed out and make a point regarding how it relates to the specific variation on the idea that you're going to express. Then again, I'm the kind of person who prefers "fast talkers" to "slow talkers," so there are probably people who appreciate that style. Possibly even the ones you grew up around.

 

[INTJ123]

Here you go: the test. There's another version that gives more accurate results, but I wouldn't advise it right now because it's very easy to skew.

Hmm I came out as intp on that one. I scored equally on Ti and Fi too. So if I'm an intp and I don't think the op is intp then what does that mean?

 

[alpaca]

Well that was a refreshingly honest answer. The people who have said that you seem INFP so far have not really given a justification other than "vibes" or "you remind me of an INFP I know." And while that's fine and everything, and sometimes turns out to be an accurate method (I use it, too), I have a suspicion that these INFP vibes have been generated by a combination of the following: (1) the fact that you come off in the vids as very serene and dreamy, and (2) you are a female, which makes it more likely that you're INFP and not INTP.

I think that's fishy, though, because with so many shared traits between the two types, like introversion (which would explain your overall quietness) and extraverted intuition (which would explain the dreaminess), it's foolhardy to use those as criteria for distinguishing one from the other. And the female = F thing, which hasn't been explicitly expressed but which I'm sure has played at least a small part in people's calculation of your type (how could it not, with INTPs being so overwhelmingly male?), is not convincing unless it's coupled with other strong indicators that you are an F type. Which we have yet to see.

So until otherwise convincingly argued, I will default to INTP.

Well thanks, I do appreciate that you're trying to keep me honest (That would make you rather intp). I actually get along great with infps, but I'm usually more detached than they are, at least from my experience. My two female friends who are infp are actually more distinctively creative than I am and also more susceptible to criticism. When we do art together, I'm all about painting things realistically while they have their own style. I also seem to have less of a clear identity, but I'm the one usually giving advice while they are the ones who are great at listening and empathizing.

Of course I don't fully subscribe to mbti, but I was touched by the description of intp. So much so that I'm here!

 

[Chloe]

they talked about you on intpcentral, and typed you as INTP

 

[Lauren Ashley]

If you're not INTP, then who is?

I think people are just used to INTPs that focus more on their Ti, where you don't really see their Ne, but you seem to have plenty of N.

 

[Spartacuss]

I actually get along great with infps, but I'm usually more detached than they are, at least from my experience. My two female friends who are infp are actually more distinctively creative than I am and also more susceptible to criticism. When we do art together, I'm all about painting things realistically while they have their own style. I also seem to have less of a clear identity, but I'm the one usually giving advice while they are the ones who are great at listening and empathizing.

And so it is with me and "my" infps, too.

 

[alpaca]

I think you're an INTP. I saw your video on INTJf, and here's what I said about you then:

"Interesting.

I related to the INTP on a certain kind of softness and sense of the complexity of things, but I was extremely frustrated at the pace she spoke at, and she had this kind of personality that makes you constantly want to finish her sentences for her or say, "I get the idea already."

Now as far as the INTJ, I related to the manner in which she spoke and the way she just briefly pointed to an idea, and outlined it enough for you to get and moved on. I didn't really share her odd obsession with being productive towards multiple goals at once, and there was a slight tendency to be a little blunt and informal about the way things affected her in ways I'm usually not. I did find this odd quality rather soothing, though."

I do think you've got a major SFJ shadow. You seem to think far too much about the pointlessness of various social things going on around you rather than actually coming up with thoughts or innovations of your own about things you're interested in. That's actually pretty typical of INTPs, though.

I would also say you seem to spend too much time building up to what you're going to say, hinting at it before unloading it. By the time you've said what you're going to say, people have already guessed roughly the next 10 things you're going to say (because they're fairly typical comments and opinions about gender and social norms) and are just waiting for you to get past the obvious thing you pointed out and make a point regarding how it relates to the specific variation on the idea that you're going to express. Then again, I'm the kind of person who prefers "fast talkers" to "slow talkers," so there are probably people who appreciate that style. Possibly even the ones you grew up around.

Haha yes, I do seem to irk INTJs and their desire of efficiency. That's a good point. I really should be complaining less and coming up with more solutions, but then again I like to have a good grasp of all the facts first.

Oh, I'm guessing you're saying my views on sexism are trite and uninformative. That particular video was made to ask the viewers their opinions, not to share mine. I wanted to see what men and women thought about it, and the reason it surfaces online so much. Got some interesting answers. One women was angry that I was not more outspoken or doing more to fight sexism online, but my views on that are like my views on atheism: you're either solidifying the opposition's resolve or preaching to the choir.

I try to make different kinds of videos, and my latest was on the blue brain project as well as one of Libet's cognition experiments. I mostly like to cast the line to see what people will say. One of my goals is to become more organized and assertive, but I'm taking my time with that

 

[alpaca]

they talked about you on intpcentral, and typed you as INTP

Did they? Finally I have the INTPc stamp of approval

 

[alpaca]

If you're not INTP, then who is?

I think people are just used to INTPs that focus more on their Ti, where you don't really see their Ne, but you seem to have plenty of N.

Well I'm glad I asked in the first place because I never thought about it like that

 

[ygolo]

Well that is a very interesting idea, I think you may be on to something there with the idea that I might be using more Ne. I don't believe in right or wrong apart from a pragmatic sense. I feel much more like an INTP than an INFP (I have friends who are and can tell the difference). It's just that I don't behave like a typical INTP (I think).

Thanks for the welcome Ah, Luna. She's so spacey!

I also welcome you to the forum.

I was going to say you remind me of OUR Luna, LunaLuminosity. She self-types as INTP as well.

I believe people should be allowed to "be" whatever type they choose, because there will be elements of truth in whatever they decide first.

Your speech pattern matches what I have come to expect from INTPs but I only have a "vibe" about that.

You may want to explore temperament theory if you really want to distinguish between INFP and INTP (besides just the F-T dichotomy). The two types have a lot in common, but the core needs (beyond the basic human ones) are rather different. Granted as human beings we will have the needs reflected in all four temperaments, but through self-exploration (as long as you are honest with yourself) I think most people can determine what fits best.

NTs: Mastery & Self-Control, Knowledge and Competence
NFs: Meaning & Significance, Unique Identity

Your adherence to compatabilism despite the evidence you pointed to (in your consciousness video alone) being mostly on the determinism side, may be an indication that the NT need for Self-Control is asserting itself.

Incidentally, I am a compabilist myself. But I admit that my need for self-control is what keeps the free-will option open. There are no lab experiments that I know of that comes down on the side of free-will, but like denying the existence of God, we are far from having a strong inductive argument against the existence of free-will.

 

[stellar renegade]

Well that was a refreshingly honest answer. The people who have said that you seem INFP so far have not really given a justification other than "vibes" or "you remind me of an INFP I know." And while that's fine and everything, and sometimes turns out to be an accurate method (I use it, too), I have a suspicion that these INFP vibes have been generated by a combination of the following: (1) the fact that you come off in the vids as very serene and dreamy, and (2) you are a female, which makes it more likely that you're INFP and not INTP.

Yep. That's exactly why, I think. I almost thought the same thing for a moment at first, but then I realized what you said in the second paragraph:

I think that's fishy, though, because with so many shared traits between the two types, like introversion (which would explain your overall quietness) and extraverted intuition (which would explain the dreaminess), it's foolhardy to use those as criteria for distinguishing one from the other. And the female = F thing, which hasn't been explicitly expressed but which I'm sure has played at least a small part in people's calculation of your type (how could it not, with INTPs being so overwhelmingly male?), is not convincing unless it's coupled with other strong indicators that you are an F type. Which we have yet to see.

So until otherwise convincingly argued, I will default to INTP.

 

[OrangeAppled]

There is a lovely poster here named OrangeAppled that is an INFP, but comes across very much what people usually describe as INTP, probably because of the posting style of people over on INFPgc, but like I said, you have to be so careful with falling into that.

How did I miss this post?

How do I seem INTP? Spill it!

 

[Nyx]

This is something I've been wondering about for a while, and whether it's needless questioning/unimportant/unanswerable, I'm putting it to you anyway.

I'll be easy to observe because I have videos on youtube here: YouTube - existentialistcat's Channel. My question is, am I really INTP? I'm starting to wonder, based on the way other INTPs act on this board, and INTPs like this: YouTube - barcode9588's Channel who seem to embody the type better.

The thing is, I'm not good at math or remembering nuggets of information unless it pertains to a conceptual model of interest (of which I have a limited number). I'm also not asocial exactly, and see logic as a means to an ends-- that is, emotional growth and happiness. I do still make decisions first based on the reasonable thing to do, which is often dominant over what I want emotionally. But that is merely delayed gratification. However, sometimes it takes me a long time to process what I'm feeling, and I'm good at controlling it (except for in my rare relationships).

Sometimes I also feel that there are great expectations for INTPs that I won't be able to fulfill, especially when it comes to being masters of logic. I'm good at it in real world situations, but I didn't do as well in the class

However in defense of the typing, I'm absent-minded but very good at understanding broad concepts. There's no doubt that I value logic over emotion, but I see this as somewhat of a fault. I "over-analyze" everything that is of interest, and enjoy talking to myself to sort out ideas and to find consistency. I'm obsessed with consistency. Not being religious, it is the only comfort I have haha. I'm also pretty quiet by nature, and I'm always hearing that people cannot for the life of them figure me out. I'm interested in refection and knowing myself, because that's how I can understand reality since I'm the one processing it.

On the other hand: I'm more interested in the inner workings of people than math, and I'm actually pretty good at reading social situations. I'm also good at acting, though I'm very bad at lying. This is a recent development though; I used to be a very awkward, asocial child. Also used to be a prodigy but now just "kinda smart for my age"

I've tested INTP five times over a two year period, but recently it's changed some. Mostly the I, and some of the T have been leveling out a bit.

I'm genuinely interested to know if I'm mistyped in that my type is learned (or if this is why MBTI is not a perfect system).

I had the same situation. Recently I came to conclusion I was an INFJ. After INFJ, INTP is what I relate to the most. You might be an INFX with a well developed Ti. My enneagram is also 5w4 reiterating my intellectual side. It is very possible to be intellectual and emotionally aware (It's funny, I really feel like NTs believe that NFs are not as capable of being as intelligent as they are). I bolded the parts in what you said that reminds me of INFJness or to a lesser extent INFXness...

INFJs I believe might be the hardest type to pinpoint. They are probably the most complex out of the types. The reason being because often our Ni-Ti axis (making you seem very INTPish, Ti is their dominant function) takes precedence over the Fe. However, the Fe still has its say.
To put it simply: You may find yourself single-minded and obsessive about analyzing/doing something you are interested in. At the say time you are socially competent, amiable, and relatable with people yet remain aloof, though not cold. In friend relationships you are most likely to take the role of advice giver, and do not really talk about yourself/your emotions. You factor emotion/people, AND logic into your world view as a means to an end. To others you are an enigma. You might even feel this way about yourself sometimes.

The standard functions for INFJs go like this: Ni, Fe, Ti, Fi, Se, Ne, Fi, Te, Si

Mine are: Ni, Ti, Fe=Fi, Ne, Se, Si=Te

This describes the functions: INFJ - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look to understanding your functions to type yourself. You may be thinking "There is no way I'm a J! (I definitely thought this at first)" But for INFJs it is less about external and mostly about internal organization. The part you said about consistency really points to this. I realize I create structure in my mind. I also usually need structure to get things done in life because my thoughts are so overwhelming and all over the place that if I didn't have it I would not accomplish anything.

A decent description:
INFJ - The Mystic

Here is a good description of INTPness (I really relate to this and it makes me question my type still...):http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/nt-rationale/15501-costrin-s-omni-ultimate-intp-profile.html

and here is a thread I made recently about it :http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/nf-idyllic/21513-infj-mistyped-intp.html

Can you relate to any of this?

You know you're an INFJ when...

you try to find common ground with everyone, and can pretty much relate to everyone on some level.

you feel for people to a fault.

everything happens for a reason...even if the reason is so complex that it appears random.

you question your sanity daily.

people tell you are "magical".

people tell you have a "beautiful spirit".

people tell you "you keep it real".

people don't "get" you or don't understand why you do what you do.

sometimes you don't "get" yourself.

your mind is like a tapestry.

you don't fit in anywhere.

you were always a bit of a loner.

lots of people like you and you don't know why because it's not like you've disclosed a lot of information with them/open up to them.

life is the most interesting journey, ever.

you might want to look into enneagrams too... I suspect you are either 5w4 or 4w5...


Wow, I just threw a lot of information at you...but if you are at all like me this will be interesting to try and figure out.

I think you are a strong contender for INFJ, IMO.
Unfortunately, I am still not 100% about my type...both fit well but I think INFJ fits better. What I read about INFJs/ talking to other INFJs resonates more deeply.
I really hope this helps in some way because figuring out type can be confusing...the process really helps you understand yourself better though

 

[BlueScreen]

I'd actually seen one of your videos before on youtube. My first guess was ENFP, from what you discuss, how you approach it, etc. You talk like an INFP or INTP though; there isn't that crazy burst of clarity and new connections after the pauses that Ne doms do.

You seem similar to a few other INTPs I've met also. And type 5 enneagram is the INTP type. Type 4 is the INFP one though...

 

[Lethe]

I think you are a strong contender for INFJ, IMO.
Unfortunately, I am still not 100% about my type...both fit well but I think INFJ fits better. What I read about INFJs/ talking to other INFJs resonates more deeply.
I really hope this helps in some way because figuring out type can be confusing...the process really helps you understand yourself better though

Mmmm, she's more Ne than Ni. I can't fathom a Ni dominant being that externally open-ended.

A. Ni: Different starting points, same ending point.
B. Ne: Same starting point, different ending points.

A. Ni Sample Focus # 1: Various literary archetypes undergo the same thematic obstacles.
B. Ne Sample Focus # 1: One literary archetype manifests themselves in various characters, who all lead separate lives.

A. Ni Sample Focus # 2: All the characters who share these traits contribute to an archetype -- Byronic heroes, supervillains, crones, etc.
B. Ne Sample Focus # 2: A character who has this trait is comparable to another character, which leads to this character and so on.

 

[Nyx]

Mmmm, she's more Ne than Ni. I can't fathom a Ni dominant being that externally open-ended.

A. Ni: Different starting points, same ending point.
B. Ne: Same starting point, different ending points.

A. Ni Sample Focus # 1: Various literary archetypes undergo the same thematic obstacles.
B. Ne Sample Focus # 1: One literary archetype manifests themselves in various characters, who all lead separate lives.

A. Ni Sample Focus # 2: All the characters who share these traits contribute to an archetype -- Byronic heroes, supervillains, crones, etc.
B. Ne Sample Focus # 2: A character who has this trait is comparable to another character, which leads to this character and so on.

Perhaps you are correct.
I liked your examples, they really helped me understand the Intuitive functions better.